Product description

To celebrate thirty years of excavation, the director of the University of Toronto excavations at Kommos presents a personal view of the site and the archaeological investigations that have transformed our understanding of what daily life for more humble members of the Bronze Age population may have been like. At the same time, the site was a busy port with connections to the Near East that continued into historic periods and some rich finds and elaborate buildings reflect the importance of foreign trade for the Cretan economy.

Author information

Joseph W Shaw has been a professor at the University of Toronto since 1970 and has directed the excavations at Kommos since they began in 1976. He specialises in Aegean Bronze Age architecture and has received the Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement, from the Archaeological Institute of America.

Review quote

...clear writing combining both authority and enthusiasm for the subject [and] a personal touch that makes it enjoyable to read. Too few excavators attempt this kind of work and Shaw is to be congratulated for his effort. -- Mark Rose Archaeology (online reviews) February 15, 2006 This is so much more than an excellent book on an important archaeological site... I cannot recommend this book highly enough.' -- Louise Schofield Minerva 2006 this book by Joseph Shaw is a delight.' -- Gerald Cadogan Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2007 Overall, this beautifully produced book impresses both for the wealth of audience it potentially serves and the straightforward manner in which it delivers.' -- Ellen Adams Journal of Hellenic Studies 2007